THE  PREPARATION  OF  HIGH  SCHOOL 
SCIENCE  TEACHERS  AT  THE  UNI-  ^ 
VERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

There  is  a  steady,  general,  and  growing  demand 
in  this  state  for  high  school  teachers  who  have  had  a 
liberal  college  training  together  with  a  thorough 
preparation  in  the  special  branches  which  they  are  to 
teach,  but  there  is  at  present  no  sufficient  source  of 
supply  of  such  teachers  for  the  public  high  school. 
The  ordinary  college  graduate  may  know  the  subjects 
which  he  aspires  to  teach,  but  he  does  not  know  how 
to  teach  them  in  a  high  school;  and  the  ordinary  nor¬ 
mal  school  graduate  may  know  how  to  teach,  but  he 
does  not  know  his  academic  subjects  broadly  and 
thoroughly  enough  to  prepare  him  for  high  school 
work.  The  high  school  teacher  should  be  either  a 
college  graduate  with  professional  training  and  in¬ 
struction,  or  a  normal  school  graduate  who  to  his 
normal  course  has  added  a  program  of  carefully  se¬ 
lected  college  study. 

It  is  the  fixed  intention  of  the  State  University  to 
do  its  full  part  towards  an  amendment  of  this  defi¬ 
ciency  in  the  sources  of  educational  supply,  and  for 
this  purpose,  in  part,  it  maintains  its  Department  of 
Education,  offers  numerous  courses  intended  to  pre¬ 
pare  its  graduates  to  teach  the  various  high  school 
specialties,  and  facilitates  in  every  practicable  way 
the  pursuit  of  a  college  course  by  graduates  of  the 
normal  schools. 

THE  PREPARATION  OF  SCIENCE  TEACHERS 

The  demand  upon  the  University  for  high  school 
teachers  of  science  has  for  several  years  so  far  outrun 


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the  actual  supply  that  places  might  commonly  be 
found  for  two  or  three  times  the  number  of  competent 
graduates  available.  That  school  officers  earnestly 
desiring  well-qualified  science  teachers  should  be 
compelled  to  accept  those  of  inferior  preparation  is  a 
serious  misfortune,  injurious  at  once  to  the  schools, 
to  the  University,  and  to  the  educational  influence 
of  the  sciences. 

To  the  end  that  students  and  instructors  may  be 
generally  advised  of  the  facts,  and  that  a  larger  num¬ 
ber  of  capable  students  may  be  led  to  prepare  them¬ 
selves  thoroughly  for  high  school  science  work,  this 
circular  of  information  concerning  the  courses  and 
facilities  offered  to  science  teachers  is  now  issued  by 
the  University. 

The  preparation  of  a  teacher  for  high  school 
science  work  must  consist  in  part  of  a  thorough 
study  of  the  sciences  which  he  intends  to  teach,  in 
part  of  the  more  general  study  necessary  to  his  lib¬ 
eral  education,  and  in  part  of  the  pedagogical  studies 
and  experience  essential  to  his  immediate  success  as 
a  science  teacher. 

His  special  subjects  should  be  pursued  in  a  scien¬ 
tific  atmosphere,  by  scientific  methods,  and  under 
the  instruction  and  personal  influence  of  scientific 
men ;  but  his  broader  development  requires  that  he 
should  have  ample  opportunity  and  inducement  to 
bring  into  his  course  additional  studies  of  a  various 
character  and  effect.  His  professional  work  should 
be  founded  on  general  educational  principles,  but 
should  be  so  directed  that  he  shall  be  well  prepared 
in  his  special  department  of  teaching.  His  course 
should,  consequently,  be  dominated  by  the  sciences, 
but  should  not  be  confined  to  them. 


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In  the  offerings  md  requirements  of  the  General 
Science  Course  and  the  Course  in  Education  of  the 
University  College  of  Science,  these  various  needs  of 
prospective  teachers  of  mathematics,  astronomy, 
physiography,  physics,  chemistry,  botany,  zoology, 
and  physiology  have  been  fully  taken  into  account. 
From  the  offerings  of  these  courses  a  variety  of  com¬ 
binations  may  be  made,  all  liberal  in  their  composition 
and  leading  to  graduation  with  the  degree  of  bachelor 
of  arts,  and  each  preparing  the  student  thoroughly 
for  some  one  or  more  definite  lines  of  scientific  work. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  COURSES 

The  General  Science  Course  provides  a  liberal 
education  with  a  scientific  substance,  but  with  suffi¬ 
cient  elective  privilege  to  enable  the  student  to  bring 
into  his  scheme  of  study  a  large  percentage  of  sub¬ 
jects  other  than  the  sciences.  This  course  is  so  con¬ 
structed  and  arranged  that  approximately  one-third 
of  the  work  is  strictly  prescribed  and  must  be  taken 
by  all  candidates  for  a  degree,  another  third  consists 
of  electives  to  be  chosen  from  a  full  list  of  scientific 
subjects  (usually  those  which  the  student  is  prepar¬ 
ing  to  teach),  and  still  another  third  may  be  taken 
from  any  courses  offered  by  the  University,  subject 
only  to  the  approval  of  the  college  dean. 

The  Course  in  Education  differs  from  the  General 
Science  Course  mainly  in  the  fact  that  a  considerable 
list  of  pedagogical  subjects  is  added  to  the  require¬ 
ment  for  graduation.  In  both  these  courses  all  nec¬ 
essary  freedom  of  choice  is  afforded  to  enable  the 
student  to  shape  his  work  according  to  his  purposes 
as  a  teacher,  and  at  the  same  time  to  insure  an  amount 


4 


of  more  general  study  and  m  ore  varied  discipline 
such  as  shall  entitle  him  to  the  liberal  degree. 

Graduates  from  the  state  normal  schools  are  com¬ 
monly  given  advance  credits  sufficient  to  enable 
them  to  take  the  bachelor’s  degree  in  two  years,  with 
a  substantial  college  preparation  for  high  school 
science  work. 

ADMISSION  REQUIREMENTS 

For  admission  to  the  University  College  of  Sci¬ 
ence,  in  which  these  courses  are  offered,  the  student 
must  have  had  five  terms’  work  in  algebra,  a  year  of 
plane  geometry,  a  year  of  English  composition,  two 
years  of  English  literature,  two  years  in  the  sciences, 
and  a  sufficient  amount  of  work  additional  to  make 
the  whole  equal  to  a  high  school  course  of  at  least 
three  and  a  half  years.  Among  the  elective  subjects 
it  is  advised  (but  not  required)  that  at  least  two 
years’  work  in  some  foreign  language,  modern  or 
classical,  be  included. 

STUDIES  PRESCRIBED  IN  THE  COEEEGE 

Chemistry . — One  year’s  work,  comprising  a  se¬ 
mester  of  elementary  and  experimental  chemistry 
(Chemistry  1),  and  a  semester  of  qualitative  analysis 
and  organic  chemistry  (Chemistry  3b  and  4) .  For 
the  two  latter  subjects  a  semester  of  qualitative  anal¬ 
ysis  (Chemistry  3a)  is  often  substituted. 

German . — Two  years’  work.  A  year  of  elemen¬ 
tary  German  prose  and  prose  composition  (German 
1  and  3),  followed  by  a  half  year  of  modern  German 
prose  and  a  half  year  of  historical  and  general  scien¬ 
tific  prose  (German  4  and  6).  It  is  the  immediate 
object  of  this  course  to  prepare  the  student  to  read 


5 


the  German  of  science  readily.  For  the  last  half 
year's  work  a  course  in  the  German  classics,  with 
additional  prose  composition  (German  5)  may  be 
substituted. 

Mathematics . — Choice  is  offered  between  a  se¬ 
mester  course,  two  exercises  a  week,  in  plane  trigo¬ 
nometry  (Mathematics  4)  and  one  of  three  exercises 
a  week  for  a  semester  in  plane  and  spherical  trigo¬ 
nometry  (Mathematics  3).  It  is  one  of  the  immedi¬ 
ate  objects  of  this  course  to  prepare  the  student  for 
the  study  of  college  physics. 

Rhetoric . — A  year’s  study  of  rhetoric  and  prac¬ 
tice  in  writing  themes,  three  exercises  a  week. 

Military  Science . — Drill  twice  a  week  in  the 
University  cadet  regiment  is  required  for  two  years, 
together  with  one  recitation  a  week  for  one  semester 
in  the  infantry  drill  regulations. 

Physical  Training . — Gymnasium  practice  under 
the  direction  of  an  instructor  is  required  for  two  hours 
a  week  during  the  freshman  year,  and  a  course  of  lec¬ 
tures  is  given  once  a  week  to  freshmen  upon  methods 
of  maintenance  and  improvement  of  the  bodily  health. 
Men  and  women  are  taught  in  separate  classes,  and 
do  their  gymnasium  work  in  separate  buildings. 

SCIENTIFIC  ELECTIVES 

The  scientific  electives,  from  which  about  one- 
third  of  the  work  must  be  chosen,  include  mathe¬ 
matics,  astronomy,  physics,  geology,  physiography, 
botany,  zoology,  entomology,  physiology,  psycholo¬ 
gy,  and  household  science.  The  requirements  with 
reference  to  the  studies  of  this  list  are  such  that  the 
student  may  concentrate  his  work  upon  a  single  one 


6 


of  them  or  distribute  it  over  two  or  more.  The  com¬ 
binations  most  commonly  acceptable  as  a  prepara¬ 
tion  for  teaching:  are  botany  and  zoology,  as  the  two 
principal  sciences,  with  physics  or  chemistry  as  a 
third;  physics  and  chemistry  with  mathematics;  or 
two  of  the  above  sciences  with  German  as  an  addi¬ 
tional  subject. 

For  women,  a  combination  of  the  zoology  and 
botany  with  enough  of  household  science  to  enable 
the  teacher  to  take  charge  of  high  school  classes  in 
domestic  economy  makes  a  useful  preparation;  and 
for  men,  a  similar  combination  of  zoology  and  botany 
with  work  in  horticulture,  farm  crops,  or  animal  hus¬ 
bandry  would  prepare  for  a  form  of  high  school  work 
for  which  there  is  now  a  rising-  inquiry. 

GENERAL  ELECTIVES 

The  general  elective  studies  may  be  applied  to 
broaden  the  course  by  work  in  philosophy,  econom¬ 
ics,  literature,  language,  history,  or  art,  and  to 
bring  into  it  the  study  of  pedagogy  and  psychology 
necessary  to  the  professional  preparation  of  the 
teacher. 

While  all  departments  of  the  University  are  open 
to  free  election,  the  work  chosen  should  have  a  ra¬ 
tional  bearing  on  the  other  studies  of  the  student’s 
course,  either  supporting  them  as  kindred  subjects, 
or  supplementing  them  as  containing  valuable  addi¬ 
tional  elements  of  training  or  knowledge.  Psychol¬ 
ogy  and  logic  are  examples  of  supporting  subjects  in 
a  science  teacher’s  course,  and  history,  economics, 
music,  and  art  and  design  are  supplementary  ones. 
Their  choice  will  also  be  influenced  in  very  great 


measure  by  the  student’s  special  tastes,  aptitudes, 
and  interests;  but  the  advice  of  the  dean  of  the  col¬ 
lege  should  be  sought,  as  a  rule,  in  choosing  these 
elective  elements  of  the  course. 

PROFESSIONAL  STUDIES 

No  student  should  go  out  from  the  University  as 
a  science  teacher  without  a  study  of  the  fundamental 
principles  of  practical  education  (Education  1)  and 
of  general  educational  methods  (Education  3),  and 
a  course  on  special  methods  in  science  and  mathe¬ 
matics  (Education  7). 

In  some  of  the  scientific  departments  special 
courses  for  teachers  are  offered,  either  separately  or 
in  combination  with  more  technical  studies,  with  the 
object  of  preparing  more  exactly  for  the  work  of  the 
class  room  or  the  laboratory. 

Frequent  opportunities  arise  for  service  as  student 
assistants  at  the  University,  especially  in  the  scien¬ 
tific  laboratories.  Prospective  teachers  of  science  are 
given  the  preference  in  appointments  to  these  places, 
and  the  experience  thus  obtained  in  the  actual  work 
of  instruction  is  a  valuable  help  to  the  beginner. 

A  catalog  of  the  University  containing  additional 
details  concerning  these  courses  and  offerings  may 
be  had  on  application  to  W.  L.  Pillsbury,  Registrar 
of  the  University,  and  letters  of  inquiry  concerning 
matters  referred  to  in  this  circular  may  be  addressed 
to  S.  A.  Forbes,  Dean  of  the  College  of  Science, 
Urbana,  Ill. 


University  op  Illinois 

THE  STATE  UNIVERSITY 


Colleges — Literature  and  Arts  (Ancient  and  Mod¬ 
ern  Languages  and  Literatures,  Philosophical  and 
Political  Science  Groups  of  Studies,  Economics, 
Commerce  and  Industry).  Engineering  { Architecture, 

Civil  Engineering,  Municipal  and  Sanitary  Engi¬ 
neering,  Electrical  Engineering,  Mechanical  Engi¬ 
neering,  Railway  Engineering).  Science  (Astrono¬ 
my,  Botany,  Chemistry,  Geology,  Mathematics, 
Physics,  Physiology,  Zoology).  Agriculture  (Animal 
Husbandry,  Agronomy,  Dairy  Husbandry,  Horti¬ 
culture,  Household  Science).  Law.  Medicine  (College 
of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  Chicago).  Dentistry 
(Chicago). 


Schools — Music,  Library  Science,  Pharmacy  (Chi¬ 
cago).  Graduate  School,  Summer  Session  of  nine 
weeks,  beginning  June  13,  1904. 


United  States  Experiment  Station,  State  Laboratory 

of  Natural  History,  Biological  Experiment  Station 
on  Illinois  River,  State  Water  Survey. 


Military  Regiment,  Military  Band,  Choral  Society, 

Glee  and  Mandolin  Clubs;  Literary,  Scientific,  and 
Technical  Societies  and  Clubs;  Young  Men’s  and 
Young  Women’s  Christian  Associations. 


399  members  of  faculty;  4000  students;  339  free 

scholarships;  75,000 volumes  in  library;  25  buildings. 


CORRESPONDENCE  WELCOMED.  SEND  FOR  CATALOG. 

W.  L.  PILLSBURY,  Registrar, 

Urbana,  Illinois. 


x.  Men’s  Gymnasium. 

а.  Armory. 

3.  Wood  Shop. 

4.  Metal  Shop. 

5.  Electrical  and  Mechan¬ 

ical  Laboratory. 

б.  Reservoir. 

7.  Heating  Plant. 

8.  Pumping  Plant. 

9.  Laboratory  of  Applied 

Mechanics. 

10.  Engineering  Hall, 
xi.  Greenhouse, 
ia.  President’s  House. 

13.  Library. 

14.  University  Hall. 

15.  Natural  History  Hall. 
z6.  College  of  Law. 

17.  Chemical  Laboratory. 

18.  Agricultural  Buildings. 

19.  Greenhouse, 
ao.  Observatory, 
ax.  Warehouse. 

22.  Veterinary  Building. 

23.  Insectary. 

24.  Woman’s  Building. 


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